BKK Taxis- Is it me or have they all forgotten...

[falangboy]

It seems that all the taxi drivers have forgotten how to get anywhere in the city these days. I would estimate that 1 in 5 times that I take a taxi, the driver needs me to give him directions. I'm not talking about out of the way places either. I got in a taxi about a week ago and he didn't know where the Erawan shrine was. I tried Erawan, Pra Phrom, si yak rachaprsong and central world. None of them worked. WTF is going on?

[digitalcat]

It seems that all the taxi drivers have forgotten how to get anywhere in the city these days. I would estimate that 1 in 5 times that I take a taxi, the driver needs me to give him directions. I'm not talking about out of the way places either. I got in a taxi about a week ago and he didn't know where the Erawan shrine was. I tried Erawan, Pra Phrom, si yak rachaprsong and central world. None of them worked. WTF is going on?

hard times in isaan... read yr lonely planet intros!

particularly the chapter that explains this phenomenon.

[imback]

Never expect from Taxi driver, some of them came from "upcountry" to drive for money making when got no harvest, how do they know about the street in BKK so well ?

If the taxi driver in BKK got Ph.D. in Transport engineering / Logistics then I will expect

[falangboy]

I'm not sure that I buy this excuse. Many of the taxi drivers in NYC are not just from outside the city, they are from other countries. But if I say Times Square, they know how to get there. Again, I'm not talking about odd places or even slightly off the beaten track. I'm talking about major points of interest. I actually had to explain to the taxi driver where Patpong was in relation to the Ratchaprasong intersection. Unfortunately, so many of them won't tell you they don't know where they are going until after you get in the taxi. That's OK if I know but can you image being a tourist in this city and trying to get back to your hotel? I've already seen that problem with a lot my guests. A map doesn't even help these days because they don't know where the streets are on the map.

[digitalcat]

I'm not sure that I buy this excuse. Many of the taxi drivers in NYC are not just from outside the city, they are from other countries. But if I say Times Square, they know how to get there. Again, I'm not talking about odd places or even slightly off the beaten track. I'm talking about major points of interest. I actually had to explain to the taxi driver where Patpong was in relation to the Ratchaprasong intersection. Unfortunately, so many of them won't tell you they don't know where they are going until after you get in the taxi. That's OK if I know but can you image being a tourist in this city and trying to get back to your hotel? I've already seen that problem with a lot my guests. A map doesn't even help these days because they don't know where the streets are on the map.

um NYC is not BKK. the taxis have to take a special test includes geography and english...

[falangboy]

Must be an easy English test.

[PeeMarc]

The only qualifications a taxi driver needs in Bkk is to turn the motor on and point the damn thing forward and drive (and thats asking a lot).

They would know far more about the money side of it than anything else.

As said before, a lot of these guys just come from up country and never even been to Bkk, so they wont even know what farang think are "points of interest" or major landmarks.

What exactly are you expecting from these guys beyond this?

Besides, you ain't paying NY taxi rates either.

Sometimes we people forget, Thailand is still a 3rd world country in many ways. Bkk is not reality.

[SweetieBabie]

I have the opposite problem with Taxis.

They tend too 'know' too much, so much so that they refuse to go where i want to go.

[RichGiRL]

When I call a taxi to where I don't know the direction, I ask them first if they do, if not, I call another one who knows.

But I can understand that they don't tell until you get in. Or they don't know the major places... This is too bad and I hate it too.

[digitalcat]

I have the opposite problem with Taxis.

They tend too 'know' too much, so much so that they refuse to go where i want to go.

CAN U TAKE ME THERE? PLEEEAASEEE!

[PeeMarc]

I was wondering a while ago, if people would pay a premium for better taxis. For example, if a new cab company started, with nice new cabs, clean and with drivers fully trained and had good knowledge of bkk etc... would people pay the extra? Would you pay ...say... 20% extra for superior taxi experience?

[Gorgeous]

my problem is they dont want to use the meter and always offer me like 150B or higher even though its not that far :roll:

[digitalcat]

my problem is they dont want to use the meter and always offer me like 150B or higher even though its not that far :roll:

I usually refuse to pay the rate and take another car.

The one time that I was too tiered and wet to take another car, the poor bastard hit traffic and would have ended up making more Baht with the meeter. I just continued working on my lap top and thinking...

SOM NAM NA

[allseasonsman]

The great thing about taxis in BKK is that they are so cheap and such incredibly good value for money. if I have a problem with a taxi driver- and I have only had this couple of times I just get out pay up and get another one!

Taxis are one of the best things about BKK - cheap and air conditioning. hard to go too far wrong really. Bkk is a huge city so I think that on balance they are rather impressive [just consider the traffic they have to put up with]

MAI PEN RAI

There are a great many other thing to worry about. Taxis in BKK are not one of them- in my humble view.

[SweetieBabie]

****&giggles

Have you ever run into something like this?

I have!

Karaoke , Redbulls, Chew gums, Cookies, Sodas, menthol, a f**** toothpaste! etc etc

[falangboy]

I wasn't complaining about the price or the value, I was just pointing out that, in the past year, I have had so many more problems with this.

[RichGiRL]

sh*t&giggles

Have you ever run into something like this?

I have!

Karaoke , Redbulls, Chew gums, Cookies, Sodas, menthol, a f**** toothpaste! etc etc

Awesome! Where did you get him? hehehehe

[Jay7]

sh*t&giggles

Have you ever run into something like this?

I have!

Karaoke , Redbulls, Chew gums, Cookies, Sodas, menthol, a f**** toothpaste! etc etc

This explains the moving dot on google maps' sex offender's registrar.

[LakeGeneve]

It seems that all the taxi drivers have forgotten how to get anywhere in the city these days. I would estimate that 1 in 5 times that I take a taxi, the driver needs me to give him directions. I'm not talking about out of the way places either. I got in a taxi about a week ago and he didn't know where the Erawan shrine was. I tried Erawan, Pra Phrom, si yak rachaprsong and central world. None of them worked. WTF is going on?

hard times in isaan...

Totally agree.

I had the surreal and unbelievable experience 6 weeks ago of jumping into a cab to go to the airport and he had no idea where it was!!! :shock: :shock:

Had to give him directions the whole way and then explained that he could briefly loiter at departures and maybe pick up a fare or line up for 2-3 hours with 5000 other cabs at the Transport Centre.

[Crustyjuggler]

Me and my gf used a taxi the other day and he took some shortcuts even my gf didn't know about to get us to the destination quickly. My gf talked to him about a bad experience we had a few days prior and he then produced this newspaper clipping from behind is photo id with a photo of himself and a foreigner. The foreigner had left Bhat 200,000 in the back of his cab along with his wallet, he was very drunk. The Taxi driver contacted him the following morning and returned his money and wallet.

And you know what..? That ******* foreigner just shook his hand and never gave him any reward.

[LakeGeneve]

I was wondering a while ago, if people would pay a premium for better taxis. For example, if a new cab company started, with nice new cabs, clean and with drivers fully trained and had good knowledge of bkk etc... would people pay the extra? Would you pay ...say... 20% extra for superior taxi experience?

Definately.

Just look at how successful the AOT limos and the London cabs are. For both your paying top dollar so a company only charging 20% more would do wonders.

I have thought for a long time that a female driver only cab company with very clean 'girlie style' interiors in the cabs would be a raging success with most women. Similar women only cabs are done well in other big cities.

[English_Bob]

Good story Si6

I read one about a guy who got into a taxi and the driver was clueless about where to go.

The passenger had to give him directions.

Then he noticed the driver wasn't too sure about accelerator and brake pedals.

He engaged him in a Thai conversation.

It turned out that the guy had only arrived in Bangkok the night before. He had no experience as a taxi driver....

...in fact he had only got his license that morning after a 40 minute lesson with his brother. And the photo and taxi license belonged to his brother.

Amazingly, they made it to their destination on time and safely.

[PeeMarc]

I don't know if its true or not... but seems to me lately there are about double the amount of taxis on Bkk streets. This must have an effect on the quality of drivers too.

[Germannrw]

sh*t&giggles

Have you ever run into something like this?

I have!

Karaoke , Redbulls, Chew gums, Cookies, Sodas, menthol, a f**** toothpaste! etc etc

Wouuuw , that is a TAXI ..........! Never seen before.

Where it stays ???

[GoodKarma]

Have you ever run into something like this?

@sweetiebabie

WTF? that is insane - great idea - I wonder if he has any problem with shoplifting..... :roll:

[Stramash]

Have you ever run into something like this?

@sweetiebabie

WTF? that is insane - great idea - I wonder if he has any problem with shoplifting..... :roll:

try this one on for size...

http://www.ultimatetaxi.com/